The Race Is On

Trigger warning: this episode discusses topics around gambling addiction and mental health struggles. The conversation is for educational and awareness purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or medical advice. If you are affected by the conversation or are struggling with a gambling problem, you are not alone. Please reach out for free, confidential help. Visit the National Gambling Help Online website or call on 1800 858 858.

It’s that time of the month again and Jack and Bec provide life updates covering both ends of the spectrum. Bec shares the highlights from her recent wedding and Tassie honeymoon, while Jack opens up about Australia’s growing gambling problem, an issue that hits close to home for him.

From there, it’s straight into the footy. The duo run their eye over the early stages of the 2026 season across both codes, diving into the biggest headlines so far, including Alex Johnston’s historic record-breaking try that sparked a mass pitch invasion. Then the attention flips to the AFL, where Jack and Bec debate whether Opening Round is here to stay.

There’s also a listener question in this month’s Third Person In segment, while Jack casts our minds back to a time when a club handed out a truly bizarre punishment to a player who stepped out of line. And, of course, the episode wouldn’t be complete without Jack and Bec gazing into their crystal balls and serving up their predictions for the month ahead.

Credit to the third party audio we used: sitcomespecials0016 (20:11), NRL (21:29), SEN Twitter (42:11), Stake_Gambler_Pro (57:32).

Transcript

Introduction

SPEAKER_01 0:06

Hello and welcome to Amateur Amor, the sports podcast for sports nuffies, but a couple of nuffies. I'm Jack Albury and joining me for the very first time today, Rebecca Miller Davy. Fresh off the honeymoon mate, how are you and how's life?

Life Updates

SPEAKER_03 0:21

It uh it really is a bubble uh the last three weeks we've we've been in. My my wife and I, Lisa and I. Mum have. Um yes, it has been a wonderful bubble. Today is back to reality. We're both back to work and footy training and all that jazz. So it's a bit like I've actually said to come my footy mates, it's a bit like new draftees, you know. Yeah. Come the draft night, you think you've made it, yep. Got my name called out, here we go. But the real hard work's just beginning now. Yes. We got married, yep, we made it, but no, the marriage journey just starts today. So uh no, it's it's awesome. Being able to call Lisa, my wife, and it was a great, great day, great weekend, which you were part of. And the one week honeymoon Tassie was also unreal.

SPEAKER_01 1:01

Twenty-six oysters in seven days, so twenty-six oysters in seven days each or between the two of you?

SPEAKER_03 1:06

No, Lisa doesn't like oysters, so more for me. Um some places only let you buy them in half a dozen or a dozen. So six oysters for me, thank you very much.

SPEAKER_01 1:14

What'd you say, twenty-seven?

SPEAKER_03 1:15

Twenty-six.

SPEAKER_01 1:15

Twenty-six.

SPEAKER_03 1:16

Yeah, I had a few half a dozen serves, and then there was some you could just buy like a couple if you wanted to. So yeah, there was some uh the over three a day. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:25

Yeah, okay. Yep. Feel the difference? Do anything royal? Um no, just what do they say about oysters, mate?

SPEAKER_03 1:33

Just ask Lisa, hey. No, the um best ones I had were from Salamanca Markets, and I think they were from Came from Briny Island. And then I we had on the last night in Swansea at a fancy restaurant, and they came from Boomers Bay, apparently. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:51

And so sorry, refresh my memory. Where was the two places that you're at in Tassie?

SPEAKER_03 1:56

First three days were in Hobart.

SPEAKER_01 1:57

Yep, lovely.

SPEAKER_03 1:58

And then four days in Swansea near Fraysanay National Park. So yeah, on the east coast there, which everyone raves about, and rightly so. It's a beautiful part of the world. And yeah, we're in the beach most days, like it was cool without being cold. Yeah. Especially when you have ice bars most days of your life. So yeah, it was a great, great time. Uh, lots of wonderful memories. Love the activities we planned, but also love the unplanned moments too. Like, yeah, Mona was great, but then we caught the ferry back one time from Mona, and we're just sitting outside on the front of the ferry, like wind in the hair, sun shining, just laughing. And one day we read for six hours in Swansea in a little cottage. It was just yeah, really wholesome.

SPEAKER_01 2:35

Yeah, that's great, mate. And the wedding day itself, everything you expected?

SPEAKER_03 2:40

I think so. It um bit of a whirlwind. Uh no, everyone says it goes really quickly.

SPEAKER_01 2:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:46

And now looking back, it feels like a dream, but actually on the weekend it the the actual time didn't feel like it flew by. I really could enjoy every sort of moment and minute, which was great. And yeah, uh a lot of excitement for Liz and I was just around getting to marry each other and we were just so pumped. There wasn't too many tears throughout the day. It was just pure excitement and joy, and we actually had the worst sleep of our lives the night before.

SPEAKER_01 3:09

Of course, mate. I mean I could have told you that beforehand.

SPEAKER_03 3:12

No one did tell me that. No one told me that.

SPEAKER_01 3:14

The anticipation for something like that.

SPEAKER_03 3:16

We were just lying there like hours on end, just like, why can't we sleep?

SPEAKER_01 3:21

And it's the old school like when you're a kid at Christmas time.

SPEAKER_03 3:24

Well, I just I think Yeah, we were just yeah, had so much anticipation and it was about midnight the night before, and Lisa goes, uh what did she say? She goes, Beck, I'm not nervous, but my heart's been out of my chest. And I said, Me too, Lisa. And uh yeah, it was just when we woke up at 7 a.m. on the morning of the wedding day, I literally I only had a few hours' sleep, probably a bit more than Lisa, but I said adrenaline gonna do one of these.

SPEAKER_01 3:50

Oh mate, it just gets you through, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_03 3:51

We weren't tired for about four days until until it hit you like a a ton of ton of bricks.

SPEAKER_01 3:56

Yeah. So it was good. Yeah, good mate. Glad to hear it.

SPEAKER_03 3:59

And how was your debut as the bridesman up there?

SPEAKER_01 4:02

I mean, aside from a slight meltdown not being able to tie my bow tie, it was fine.

SPEAKER_02 4:06

Oh yeah. How did you go?

SPEAKER_01 4:08

Oh, I was horrible. Who helped you? Oh, everyone. I mean, I just I couldn't I was so thrown by the fact that no one else could tie it. So for context, Beck asked me if I'd prefer a regular tie or a bow tie to wear as her bridesman. And not getting the opportunity much in life at all to wear ties in general, I thought I'll go the bow bow tie, be a bit different, and she sends me a prescribed link to the one that she wants, which is fine. And I remarks for the colour to match the the bridesmaids. And I chuck it in the drawer a month out from the wedding and go, oh yeah, I'll do it on the night, sort of thing. And then get it out as I'm packing and realise how completely inept I am at the whole thing, and think, oh well well, Beck's dad'll know. Text Beck, Beck's dad doesn't know. No one else seems to know. I'm going through YouTube videos and getting progressively more flustered that the whole thing's not working. And in the end, it was a combination of me getting most of the way there and then Bella kind of finishing off with the hand-eye coordination in the mirror, which I just don't have, and then once it's on going, just leave it. I'm going, I'm gonna leave it. Because we'll be there. Yeah. And I'm like, the last person you should be worried about on your day is the bridesman. Like, I should do the lowest effort and you know. Great day for me, mate. I don't have to do much until the afternoon.

SPEAKER_03 5:22

It's like sit around and watch you guys get ready and oh you cooked up a good breakfast and lunch.

SPEAKER_01 5:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:27

Don't sell yourself short.

SPEAKER_01 5:28

But look, mate, you're gonna have to sedate me on my wedding day. Luck. Just I just this the residual stress, you know, having to stand at the front, you know, I just don't take well. I don't know how I'm gonna handle it, but it's two and a half years off for me, so I'll find some coconut.

SPEAKER_03 5:42

You can do some visualization for it. Yeah. Two and a half years out.

SPEAKER_01 5:45

Get the VI headset and just live it a few times. But no, I won't be sleeping the night before either.

SPEAKER_03 5:49

So Yeah, I even took a couple of melatonin, it didn't help. So got the stronger stuff, I reckon.

SPEAKER_01 5:55

But no, great day, great quality people, great dancing Robbie Williams. Got some good videos of me looking incredibly awkward doing that.

SPEAKER_03 6:02

So what's you do for friendship, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 6:05

But also just appreciate how much quality dancing time we had at your wedding beck. Like the priority to just don't worry about the food or you know, anything like that. Just four hours of good tunes, good band.

SPEAKER_02 6:18

That's all we wanted.

SPEAKER_01 6:19

Found some things out about some of your teammates. What'd you say? Found some things out about some of your teammates. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:24

Are you gonna reveal any of that? No. On amateur? No. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 6:28

I don't think they or the uh Richmond Football Club would appreciate it.

SPEAKER_03 6:31

Okay, what happens at Pericritter Station? Stay's at Pericrita Station.

SPEAKER_01 6:35

But no. Incredible night. Glad you had a great time.

SPEAKER_03 6:38

Thanks, mate. Yeah, it was good. Uh yeah, excited for your one. It's uh a day like no other, that's for sure. It really is incredible.

SPEAKER_01 6:44

Yeah, that's a guarantee.

Tigerland Trumours

SPEAKER_01 6:47

Alright. Um and just in your professional life, I guess, an opportunity to address things at the Tigers. Or is there anything to address the Tigers? Rumours of a coach.

SPEAKER_03 6:56

Rumours, mate, they're trumors, it's true.

SPEAKER_01 6:58

Been confirmed?

SPEAKER_03 6:59

Yeah, mate, he's third week in.

SPEAKER_01 7:01

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_03 7:01

Jared Dondas, mate, he is we is working hard. He's hit the ground running, had 1v1 meetings with all the players. I met with him today. I was the third last player to meet with him. There's still a couple more to go who are out of Melbourne. And then we have our general manager, Jane Woodlands Thompson. Yeah. She is uh starting end of March at the at Tigerland. She's finishing up at her job in Adelaide. But she has a lot of sporting experience in women's sport as well as the wider sporting landscape. So she once she gets on board in late March, there'll be a few more decisions made and uh the programme and pre-season stuff will be set up in the next month or two, which will be really exciting. But yeah, Jared has hit the ground running. He um I I was at the club, it was the Monday of the wedding week, so late Feb. Uh and he was yeah, he brought in his family, which was great. Um yeah, met him today. Uh obviously being part of a women's footy team, uh, women talk a lot. So I sort of had some first impressions from other players told to me before I met with him today. And um even just seeing some of the um messages in the like the team app we have. Yeah. I turned it off for the whole three weeks for burning and hunting, which was great, so just caught up on it the last few days and a lot of his messages, it was all about role clarity, um, professional standards, and he was really detailed in a lot of his slides he gave in that in that group chat. So yeah, he sort of talked today a bit about two differences like there's role clarity, but then there's also individual clarity. So there's certain certain not metrics but certain skills required in each each position. There's like nine positions in his mind on a football field rock, uh key forward, small forward, medium forward, the same for the backs, wing, etc. And um he's as part of his interview process, he looked at a couple of different players on our list, and the sort of detail he went into, for example, was he looked at inside midfielders and how much time they have when they have the ball, and they have 0.5 to one second with the ball when they get it to get rid of it, right?

SPEAKER_04 8:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:00

Um, but then he also looked at some small forwards and looked at the type of ground balls they're getting. You think ground balls are ground balls, but there's ground balls who can roll away from you, rolling towards you, rolling laterally. Wow. But then you could also be are you stationary with those ground balls or are you sprinting to get that ground ball? Yeah. And if you're sprinting, are you sprinting two metres or over 20? So he had so many like metrics broken down. Uh and in terms of the ground ball, is it below your knees or is it is it a is it above your knees? Like there was just some yeah, so much detail he went into, which was pretty exciting as a player, and yeah, he's sort of really keen on setting high standards from the get-go, and uh he has a philosophy as well, which he shared with us, but it's pretty cool. And he has a three-year plan already, he's a hundred-day plan, he has a three-year plan as well. So yeah, he's not marking around, he's he's ready to go. He's yeah, right. Has gone essentially. So yeah, really excited to have him in Tiger Land and yeah, can't wait to get down to work with him.

SPEAKER_01 9:53

Yeah, awesome.

SPEAKER_03 9:54

So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:55

Alright, well that's good. So I didn't obviously my very brief gurgling last night and it's all good, mate.

SPEAKER_03 10:02

I'll send you the I'll send you the uh links to Jake and Jared. You can read up on him. I think he's pretty professional. Like he's told the girls don't add me on Instagram. So yeah, I don't know if you'll be on it on the podcast. So you never know.

SPEAKER_01 10:16

Uh well, this is an Instagram, mate. This is a hard-hitting podcast, and the people need to know.

SPEAKER_03 10:21

So hard investigating journalism.

SPEAKER_01 10:22

We'll send out a soft invite now.

SPEAKER_03 10:25

I did I did say my hobby one of my hobbies was podcasting. He did uh did like that, so you never know. I'll try and try and see if I can get him on.

SPEAKER_01 10:33

Are we um eight, sorry, are we? Are you and um Bakes doing your podcast this year as well? I won't be there.

SPEAKER_03 10:39

Uh Bakes asked me about that a month ago before I went on the three-week wedding honeymoon uh phase, and I said, I haven't thought about that. I've been organising a wedding. So come back to me, Bakes, with ideas, and I'm still waiting. So hopefully, I think there's been a lot of change at Tigerland, so the Tiger Army would love to hear from certain people within the program and even outside the program. So yeah, but I wouldn't I will not be doing it every round like I did last season. I learnt my lesson. Hopefully a few pre-records will make make life a bit easier for Bakes and I.

SPEAKER_01 11:11

Yeah, yeah. Alright. You can keep us updated, mate.

SPEAKER_03 11:15

Unreal.

SPEAKER_01 11:16

Alright, um, I just also had something that I wanted to talk about at the start of the podcast.

SPEAKER_03 11:20

Okay. Um Lucky I'm sitting down.

SPEAKER_01 11:23

Lucky shit sitting down.

SPEAKER_03 11:24

Sitting down or shitting down.

SPEAKER_01 11:28

Um something that I hadn't

An Important Message for All to Hear **TRIGGER WARNING**

SPEAKER_01 11:30

share with you coming in on the run sheet um is that recently I marked two years since I last had a bet. Yes. At the start of March. Something that you may or may not have known. Um as odd as it still feels to say, but it's important that I do, um, I was an addict. Two years ago I had to make a decision that my life was out of control. Gambling had taken control of me, I couldn't set limits, walk away, or control the impulse to gamble. The amount of money I was betting and losing makes me anxious to think about. While my gambling wasn't solely related to betting, the two are inexplicably linked in this country. And you cannot consume sport without being encouraged to bet. I have a responsibility in my recovery to talk about it. Gambling and addiction do not discriminate. I'm a logical, rational person with a good upbringing, and that meant nothing at my absolute lowest, unable to help myself. It was only with the patience and support of those around me and some strangers at Gamblers Anonymous that I could confront things and change my life forever. There isn't being enough enough being done in this country to regulate gambling in a meaningful way. I cannot believe my pat believe my patterns of behavior were allowed to continue without any sort of intervention from the platforms that I was using. At the end of the day, though, I don't blame anyone but myself. The important thing though is that there are people out there like me right now that feel alone and feel like they have no one to talk about in the throes of this disease. It is important that I speak out to raise awareness that this can affect anyone, and if you have concerns for someone in your life, reach out to them. So that's what I wrote down to read out because I didn't want to do it all ad-libbed.

SPEAKER_02 13:06

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 13:07

But even though we only have a small listener base Beck, I just thought that it was important to talk about because um it is a big part of sport, all kinds of sport in this country. You can't get away from advertising and gambling, and that that's not something that like influenced me a whole lot anyway. But it is also important to recognize, uh, and particularly in rugby league where gambling props up an awful lot of the sport.

SPEAKER_02 13:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:35

And yeah, I just think it's important, it's an it's an addiction that's not heavily talked about or widely understood. It was hard for me to access help in the first place. Um, and even some of that help that I could access wasn't all that meaningful. But it's just something that I wanted to speak on because I think the more that these things are talked about, the more that they can come out the open and and that no one really knew it about me apart from the people closest to me.

SPEAKER_02 14:04

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 14:04

Um and if you suspect this about people in your life, or if you suspect suspect that people need help, they probably just really appreciate you talking to them about it.

SPEAKER_03 14:13

So wow, no, that was well said, Jack, and yeah, really proud of you, Emate, for doing that. So I know you've told me obviously a a fair while ago, and uh yeah, it was part of part of our friendship for a long time. Yeah. As well. And I probably could have helped in in other areas and and didn't at the at the right time. But no, it's yeah, it's a very, very important cause to speak up about. I guess what is the one thing you want people to take away from that.

SPEAKER_01 14:41

Like you just said, there's you know, things that you could have done to help, there's nothing that you could have done to help. Um it had to be me deciding that I wanted things to change. And the takeaway the takeaway is just awareness that if you feel like you can help someone, if you feel like you can influence someone, if you don't feel like the amount of advertising in in sport and gambling is inappropriate, if there are platforms for you to to voice that, then you know do what you can do to help. But also just it's just important to be visual, to to know that this isn't something that just affects a small amount of people or or people of a certain socioeconomic background or a cultural background, or that if you get addicted to gambling that you're you're stupid, like it's not like that at all. And I think a lot of the stigmas for any sort of addiction don't help the progress. And I think that in sport we, you know, uh uh it's a little bit cheap and it's a little bit kind of dismissed as something that is just a bit of fun, like it can really get out of control really quickly for people. And having had having gone through it, my life was not ruined because of it, but but it was going to be absolutely and in meeting people in recovery, it ruins lives really, really quickly, and there isn't enough being done. And I think the more that people are aware of that, the better, and that it can affect anyone, and to not underestimate its impact and its ability to affect people.

SPEAKER_03 16:07

Well, I've been very impressed and admired the way how open you've been along the journey in our friendship, once you told me. There was that booklet you got from Gamblers Anonymous, and you shared it with me one time and I could go away and read it my own time and Beck took notes, by the way. I had a list of about twelve questions or something for you next time we caught up. Sit down, I got some questions, and yeah, you took every question and answered it honestly. So yeah, it's been very admirable.

SPEAKER_01 16:35

Yeah, and information is power too. It's not just as simple as, you know, betting companies have to give the the hotlines and the they're contractually obliged to do things to make it seem like they're helping. There's not enough information about how just how addictive this is.

SPEAKER_02 16:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:50

Just how addictive particularly poker machines are and how uh how much hold they have over you. People people don't understand it. And it's it's the sneaky one. It's not something that you know you can spend hours and hours gambling and no one can tell. Yeah. If you spend hours and hours drinking, you're drunk. If you're on drugs, people will pick up on it. Gambling, you you you learn as an addict how to be sneaky really quickly. And the people in your life, unless you tell them wouldn't know, couldn't know.

SPEAKER_04 17:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:18

And then the shame of having to tell them is so great that that becomes a thing that you can't overcome in in stopping. So yeah, the more information that people have on it, the more aware people are, the better, as far as I'm concerned.

SPEAKER_03 17:33

So we go to Gamblers Anonymous and get your two-year tag?

SPEAKER_01 17:37

No. Tag or token. Token or coin or no, it's something that I needed to do initially, but it's not something that I particularly like or get much from anymore. Yeah. But in the in the beginning, it's pretty much essential, I would say, if you want to quit, if you're truly addicted, I I don't think there's a way around that. Um it's gonna benefit most people if you feel like and and I was very lucky to have someone who took me, who wanted to take me, who knew how much that would benefit me.

SPEAKER_04 18:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:07

Um it really is kind of the first place to start in in most addictions, I would say, whether that's gamblers or alcoholics anonymous or whatever it might be. It's essential to to go and learn about what it means and to learn that there are people like you. It's really the only place where you can go where you can say anything, and there's everyone's not there's always someone who has a a lower low than you, or there's never any judgment in a room like that. So and that's something else that there's not enough of those. They're not they're not anywhere near well enough attended for the problem that it is in this country. Yeah, sure. Um and the awareness of the benefit that it can have. Like yeah, it's it's really something that's uh it's a non-profit that you know anyone who goes will say is a life changer, basically. So so yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:55

Well, proud of you for talking about it and detailing it for for your own life as well. So proud of you, Jack.

SPEAKER_01 19:02

Thanks, mate. Appreciate you.

SPEAKER_03 19:04

Always here for you.

SPEAKER_01 19:05

Alright, well, we'll get all the heavy heart heating stuff out of the way. We can get on to this month in footy.

SPEAKER_03 19:10

Sorry, we're just getting to the heavy heart heating stuff, aren't we?

SPEAKER_01 19:12

Yes, so sorry. That's what we're all here for. Now,

Footy Recap

SPEAKER_01 19:16

a quick old month since we last got together. Uh the AFL and NRL are both underway. In the NRL, we made it to Vegas and back safe and sound for the third time. Um, with record crowds and TV numbers. Back in Australia, we've gotten through two full rounds now. A couple of usual customers have impressed in the Panthers in the Storm at the top of the NRL ladder, but most teams have some things to like early on. Uh the biggest highlight to date in the NRL though has to be Alex Johnston, now the greatest ever try-score scorer in the NRL at just 31 years of age in a fairy tale night for the game last Friday night. Uh over in the AFL, the opening round concept has had another go, this time with a game at the MCG to wet the appetite uh of Victorians before a full first round. A couple of fast starters in the AFL too, Sydney and the Bulldogs going 2-0 with a round and a half gone. It is far too early to be making grand predictions there. Uh let's get to our headline stoppers for March, though, Beck.

SPEAKER_04 20:11

I like to

Headline Stoppers

SPEAKER_04 20:12

get the daily news.

SPEAKER_01 20:13

So uh we'll start with want to start with the NRL mate or the AFL?

SPEAKER_03 20:17

Let's go, NRL. You just touched on AJ, so I reckon we start with him.

SPEAKER_01 20:21

Yeah. Um Alex

Alex Johnston the GOAT

SPEAKER_01 20:23

Johnston last Friday night needed uh two tries to become the all-time leading try scorer in the history of the game since 1908. Uh took the record off Ken Irvine, uh, who broke the record in 1969.

unknown 20:40

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_01 20:41

Uh and then retired in 1973. Uh 213 tries for Ken.

SPEAKER_03 20:47

212, T. 212, sorry.

SPEAKER_01 20:49

So AJ's hit 213 last Friday night. Uh much talk pre prior to the match about whether the fans well, they were never going to be allowed on the field, let's say. Wayne Bennett did his best to downplay the situation as well. But really, like the perfect night for it to happen. Uh, South's needing him him needing two tries against the Roosters, but yeah, bitter arch rivals. Yep. At the Sydney football stadium, sold out on a Friday night.

SPEAKER_03 21:16

Yeah, he scored his first one in the first half. So everyone knew he needed one more to break it. He'd already equaled it in the first half, and then what, 45 seconds into the second half, this happens.

SPEAKER_01 21:41

Yeah, I mean, chills. Literal chills. Um, aside from them not getting the results, it was just a night, I guess, that was bigger than the than the two clubs in some ways. Uh a re a real special night for Alex Johnson, his family, a real consistent performer, one club player, I think nearly left the club at one club. Point. And as I said, only 31 years old, still got four or five.

SPEAKER_03 22:06

He's contracted this year and next year.

SPEAKER_01 22:08

Yeah. These days, players routinely playing into their mid thirties. He's a legitimate chance of scoring 300 tries for his career if he stays fit and healthy. And just a real likable character.

SPEAKER_03 22:20

Yeah, everyone says how nice he is. So it's nice when you see things happen to nice guys.

SPEAKER_01 22:25

Yeah, definitely. I mean, you know, Billy Slater was a chance of getting it there for a bit. I don't know how happy South Wales fans would have felt about uh a Queenslander and uh Storm Legend getting it. But no, it's just no one has anything bad to say about AJ. Um what did you make of the fans on the field back?

SPEAKER_03 22:44

Oh, I loved it. I absolutely loved it. It had to be done. Yeah. It it took a few awkward seconds. He scored the try, and his teammates got to him, and then everyone's like, well, like, is anyone gonna remote? Yeah, number eight. He got there, and then once one went, they all they all flooded in and it was just the floodgates opened. It was unbelievable scenes. Did you see that Dan does footy clip about one guy? No, three security guards were on top of one guy in the middle of the field whilst hundreds of people flooding past these security guards. Oh, like stiff, stiff for that person who got done by the security guards. But yeah, I think even like Wayne Bennett in the press it was like it was disruptive. Like it was a moment for the game, it was iconic, and it'll be replayed for decades to come. It was I'm so glad the fans did it. Like, so happy to see that.

SPEAKER_01 23:32

Nothing points to Wayne being a boomer more than his ability to complain before, during, and after the game about something like, yes, it's disruptive, but honestly, it's you I've never seen it. Most people have never seen it. Uh I think we all got a little bit of envy in rugby league seeing Buddy Franklin kick his thousandth goal at the SCG.

SPEAKER_03 23:52

This is bigger than Buddy's 1000.

SPEAKER_01 23:54

Okay. It is because the AJ broke a record.

SPEAKER_03 23:58

He's on a list all by himself. Buddy was the fourth person to kick over a thousand goals. Yeah, exactly. And not take anywhere anything away from Buddy, but this is bigger than that moment, in my mind.

SPEAKER_01 24:08

And and that's like we're unlikely to see this record be broken. It's taken, what, 50 odd years. Yeah. 45 years.

SPEAKER_03 24:18

So You never know. Daniel Trupeau's number four, 184 tries, but he is 33, and I think it's his last contracted year at the Roosters.

SPEAKER_01 24:25

So Well, that's um we just don't know where this is gonna end up now. Like AJ's setting the pace, and and it there's no current players, you would say, who are gonna play on long enough at this point to beat him.

SPEAKER_03 24:36

So it was also funny when you saw the live images of everyone mobbing AJ, and in the background you had on the big screen, do not enter field of play. Oh, after police.

SPEAKER_01 24:49

I mean, yeah, power of numbers, it's and that the NRL had to say publicly and discourage people as much as possible. But I mean, I think everyone kind of nailed the brief once once some you know, once you got over a hundred people on there, it's you can't find them all. And the Prime Minister made an appearance on the field as well.

SPEAKER_03 25:03

So Yeah, he was a bit late to the party. He he was literally striding down the sideline where AJ was, what, three minutes ago? And he goes, Where's AJ? Mate, he's in the he's in the bloody change room.

SPEAKER_01 25:13

Oh, so that's what he was doing wandering around the street. Yeah, trying to find AJ.

SPEAKER_03 25:15

Yeah, give him a handshake or a high five or a pat in the bar.

SPEAKER_01 25:18

You have your glasses on, like that's the thing. They just put it in the middle of the floor.

SPEAKER_03 25:20

It's too long to get down there from the box.

SPEAKER_01 25:22

Yeah. Have your cardnay behind glass, mate, and piss off.

SPEAKER_02 25:26

He was he was too slow.

SPEAKER_01 25:28

What did you think of the um the gold jersey as well?

SPEAKER_03 25:31

It's some good preparation. Well, they've had a lot of time to repair because what, four or five games in in the season last year, he was getting close without breaking it. So they've had all off season to prepare. I think it's lovely. Uh yeah, it's a pretty cool moment. Yeah. Uh there was also a statue revealed as well, I think it's South HQ this week. So, yeah, it's been well thought out, I think.

SPEAKER_01 25:54

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:55

It's just so glad the the fans stormed the ground.

SPEAKER_01 25:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:58

So good.

SPEAKER_01 25:58

A wonderful evening for rugby league.

SPEAKER_03 26:00

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 26:01

Uh we'll just wind it back though a little bit as well. Uh Vegas, as I said, third year in now.

SPEAKER_02 26:07

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 26:08

It looks like it's here to stay, though. I mean, they're still tinkering with the format three games this time around, with one UK club competing and no women's representation, which is probably a little bit disappointing. Uh I'm just looking for the kind of the teams that can play there to make a bit more of a contest after the Jillaroo smoked. Yeah. I can't even remember who it was, about a hundred points to nil. New Zealand, maybe? Yeah. Yeah. Was it the Jillaroos versus New Zealand? Or was it England? Well they were close, it must have been England, but they smoked them. Absolutely. And even the UK, this UK fixture this time was a bit of a blowout. Yeah. Um long day of rugby league. I mean, seven hours in a stadium like crikeys. And you can see you can see that on the foot in the coverage as well. The fans sort of come and go by the time the third game wraps up.

SPEAKER_03 26:50

I think there's some people who have is it should be over two days then. Four games, two days.

SPEAKER_01 26:54

I mean, all the fans are flying in for a weekend, so it's definitely something that needs some consideration.

SPEAKER_02 27:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:01

But Peter Valenti did mention um in the lead up to this one a global concept, if you will, playing in uh in Japan, apparently, playing in the UK, having all the fixtures in round one overseas. I don't really know how much thought he's put into it, but how how would you feel about that, Beck, having the whole round played overseas?

SPEAKER_03 27:23

Well, when people say things like that, you think, oh, that's pie in the sky, that's never gonna happen. But when Peter says it, Peter Valandis, you go, This could actually happen. This guy could pull it off.

SPEAKER_04 27:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:34

I yeah, there's obviously a lot of logistics to it, and how do you maintain fairness amongst teams travelling here, there, and everywhere? But if anyone can pull it off, Peter Valandis can.

SPEAKER_01 27:44

I mean it's worked here. Uh you're probably gonna have to double stack some some of the games. I think you could probably only have four, four or five cities maybe, but I mean like the UK would embrace it, they love their rugby league. Um Japan's a little bit of a left field option, but again, it's you know, they have rugby over there.

SPEAKER_04 28:01

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 28:02

It's worked in Vegas, so um I just I mean I just don't feel like the season started till it hits Australia though.

SPEAKER_02 28:10

Right, okay.

SPEAKER_01 28:11

I like having your Sunday IVO footy back a week early, but I do feel that it doesn't f doesn't feel like home until you get a full round in Australia.

SPEAKER_03 28:21

So So what's the difference if you're sitting on your couch in Coburg watching Roosters vs. Penrith on a Sunday afternoon at SFS or Roosters vs Penrith in Japan on your couch in Cobert?

SPEAKER_01 28:34

It's just the vibe, mate. It's just the vibe, you know. It's just like your favourite pair of comfy slippers. Like I don't know, just it's harder for me to visualize being in Las Vegas, whether it's like a familiarity to being in Australia or something. I don't know, it just doesn't it's just the vibe to me.

SPEAKER_03 28:50

Footy's footy.

SPEAKER_01 28:51

Yeah, I guess. I mean, look, I'm I'm for the concept. I think it's good. I just I wouldn't support the whole uh an Australian competition being launched with a complete round overseas. To me, that just feels a bit strange, but I can't really rationalize it.

SPEAKER_03 29:07

You want the traditional traditional start in Australia.

SPEAKER_01 29:10

Yeah, and as we'll get into with the AFL, I don't like their opening round for sort of similar reasons, but fair enough.

SPEAKER_03 29:16

It's on the record.

SPEAKER_01 29:17

And let's get into uh finally for the NRL, some knee-jerk reactions too early to make any grand predictions, but we'll try anyway. Everyone else does it, mate. So who have you liked, who haven't you liked over the first couple of rounds, who's tickled your pickle just right?

SPEAKER_03 29:34

It's a great saying. I will be upfront and honest, and I have lived in the honeymoon wedding bubble for three weeks, so I haven't been that attentive to NRL AFL. No, but I have noticed the WAS are two from two early in the season, which is a good start.

SPEAKER_01 29:50

Very impressive from them.

SPEAKER_03 29:51

Yep, and the fans will be loving that. And then West Tigers on the board with a comprehensive win in round two after their round one bye, which is a stitch up.

SPEAKER_04 30:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 30:01

How many bye in round one? I know there's only you have to have a buy, but it's just anyway, stitch up. Um because there's been a lot of talk out from West Tigers that Benji's really sort of gone a bit harder this year at his playing group. So it's a small sample size, but um maybe this is the year for the West Tigers fans, maybe.

SPEAKER_01 30:20

Yeah. I mean, I love that sort of that found foot, like the leaked footage of Benji and the change of no, I don't even know, like the posted on their website or whatever of him saying that if you don't meet the standards, then you'll be out the door.

SPEAKER_04 30:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:33

I just think that sort of goes that saying for professional footballers on six-figure salaries, like sometimes you have to say, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 30:39

Sometimes you have to say.

SPEAKER_01 30:40

Yeah, it's I don't know, it's just like but just some some of the the column space and stuff that's dedicated to it, it's like, you know, the West Tigers need to have that strategy. Like you want them to embrace the West Tigers ethos of being fun and expansive and playing a good style of footy. I think that's when the Tigers are at their best. But yeah, a club that's underperformed for the best part of the last decade, you better believe if you can't meet students, you're out the door. And it yeah, it's good that Benji's saying it, and they've got some footage to verify that so West Tigers fans can feel encouraged. But um yeah, it was great to see them get out their first game of the season, sold out like Cardoval. Wonderful heart strength, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:19

Sunny afternoon here.

SPEAKER_01 31:20

Sunny afternoon, full hill, overpriced beer on the hill. But love it, and I think there's been a lot of as I said, like there's been some more impressive teams and there's been some less impressive teams, but lots of highlights from lots of different clubs, and that was one of them. Um Broncos, none from two, none from two for the Broncos.

SPEAKER_03 31:38

Yeah. Um they just scoreless in round one against Penrith up there.

SPEAKER_01 31:43

The Broncos though, I will say, like, let's do a knee-jerker action. Like, I don't see them being a threat to the premiership this year.

SPEAKER_02 31:52

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 31:52

You can lock that away. Okay, and I'll just keep repeating it all year. But like, they were an unusual case study last year, really just and a bit of a throwback. I mean, rugby league, uh, AFL's the same, but the way that the premiership's structured, it's such a long season. You when you time your runs into the finals, they weren't going well mid-year. No. They went on a run, won their last four or five games, snuck into the top four, snuck into a prelim, snuck into the grand final, and then pretty much, as we talked about in our last show last year, probably the greatest individual performance by Reese Walsh in a grand final to win them a premiership. If he's not there, they the storm are lifting the trophy. Yeah. They're they really rode momentum last year, and a lot of their stars are year older and already at the back end of their career. And I think they've started pretty predictably. It's they've they're back to square one now, they're back to the pack. It's you know, it means nothing to have won the premiership last year. Uh it it's back to hard work, and some of the brilliance and the talent that got them out of jail in games last year, and you saw it against the Eels, 32 to 40, like defence.

SPEAKER_03 33:02

What defence?

SPEAKER_01 33:03

Few score lines like that, you know, over the opening couple of rounds, but they're relying on talent over um the sort of Melbourne Storm Panthers who look fit, ready to go. Um, so no, I I think that I think the Broncos obviously still a chance of making not a chance. Obviously, you know fancied. Fancied. Um, but I just don't I just don't think that they're gonna be able to replicate if they're gonna win the premiership, they have to change some things fundamentally about themselves. They're not gonna get through on sneaking through into the finals and through the finals again this year. It's just not gonna and and y you become the hunted teams become better prepared for you, so so yeah. But as you mentioned, the Warriors as well, two from two.

SPEAKER_03 33:48

Yeah, not bad. Not bad. They their round two game against Canberra was persistent rain. Pissing down. Absolutely, and I don't know if it was a club sponsor or a stadium sponsor, but it was V, the energy drink V was handing out ponchos and it was green ponchos, and they're playing Canberra Raiders.

SPEAKER_01 34:06

I I did watch the the KO Mini of that this morning. I thought, are there a lot of Canberra fans? And then you know it's just the So I don't know if V's just maybe they've got a thing happening with the Raiders or something. But no, that was hilarious.

SPEAKER_02 34:19

It was so funny, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 34:21

Um But look, I mean the NRL, it it's just it feels like they're off to a good start this year. A lot of big crowds, uh big moments, and um and clubs playing up to their potential. So hopefully that continues throughout the season.

SPEAKER_03 34:36

Which club or which player's gonna ruin it with a scandal?

SPEAKER_01 34:39

Yeah, it's been a while since we've had a good one.

SPEAKER_03 34:41

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 34:42

They need like the the sign at it, NRL HQ, day since last scandal or something up on the wall.

SPEAKER_03 34:50

That's good. That's very good.

SPEAKER_01 34:52

Um all right,

AFL's Opening Round Head Scratcher

SPEAKER_01 34:53

let's pop over to the AFL now.

SPEAKER_03 34:54

Yes, voice voice your concerns about opening round.

SPEAKER_01 34:57

Well, are you concerned or not?

SPEAKER_03 34:59

Oh, I in preparation for this podcast, I was like, just honestly, opening round. I will give them their due this year. It was very clever scheduling St Kilda vs. Collingwood on the Sunday at 7 30 pm. Yep. Capitalised after the F1 in Melbourne had finished and it was a long weekend in Melbourne. Clever scheduling. Yes. That one. But it's just it's just hard to get around.

SPEAKER_01 35:20

Isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 35:20

Like last year they did it because the NRO in Vegas, they wanted to capitalise with the Northern States while there was no league up there.

SPEAKER_01 35:26

But there was.

SPEAKER_03 35:27

But this year there was league back in the Northern States and they still did opening round.

SPEAKER_01 35:30

It just Yeah It's just It creates a situation where ten teams have to have a second buy to compensate for the fact that Yeah. It It's one of those things where it's like you need the person you need someone to stand up and try and explain it. And then once they explain it and it's and they you can't explain it without sounding sort of dumb and challenged like it's just a bit limp. Yeah. Like it's just it's a kind of you kinda it's a good idea, terribly executed.

SPEAKER_03 35:59

I know I always have a crack at AFL fans for being traditionalists, but I'm with them on this one. Just leave it to Carlton vs. Richmond Thursday night the G. Let them open it. Like Yeah. Two huge fan bases, fill the G, let them go at it. Let that be the first game.

SPEAKER_01 36:13

And that's the kind of impeer pressure, as you said, into having a a Victorian game now on the Sunday, because yeah, you're you're burning a long weekend that you could have had otherwise. It's sort sort of strange that they then don't have a game on the Monday.

SPEAKER_02 36:25

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 36:25

They could start around earlier on the long weekend, have an extra buy for teams. It j I just yeah, I it's just a head scratcher, like. Yep. Um because the coach of Frio, Justin Longmai, yeah. Um, has called it a competitive advantage to have already played a game against a team that hasn't. So uh Frio taking on Geelong in round this is I think round one um and getting run down.

SPEAKER_03 36:53

Opening round or round one. Frio versus Geelong and Round One, yes. In round one.

SPEAKER_01 36:58

Yeah. But the second game played for Geelong Geelong.

SPEAKER_03 37:02

Because they played in opening round.

SPEAKER_01 37:04

Yes, and even though Frio are a non-Victorian team, they didn't play, they got run down by Geelong. Say what you will about whether they should have gotten run down by having such a big lead. But calling it a competitive advantage because Frio in their first game of the season are playing a team that have already are in their second game. Do you see that as being as big a competitive advantage? Like or is that just him throwing up excuses? That's him throwing up excuses, I think.

SPEAKER_03 37:30

Like look at Adelaide Crows. They played against Conway, who've already played a game before them.

SPEAKER_04 37:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 37:34

And they dismantled them in the second half, especially in the midfield. I think if your coach is saying that, yeah, they're trying to grasp for any sort of excuse. I I wouldn't enjoy having my coach say that.

SPEAKER_01 37:45

Just a tangent for a second.

SPEAKER_03 37:47

Oh, let's do it. Let's digress.

SPEAKER_01 37:50

It's happened in the NRL, like, or I've noticed it more in the NRL, but in the AFL too. Like the post-match press conferences, like the willingness of coaches to whinge, essentially.

SPEAKER_03 38:02

I mean, particularly It's it's actually explaining, not complaining.

SPEAKER_01 38:06

Oh. Is that a Rebecca Miller quote or It's an Alison Miller quote.

SPEAKER_03 38:13

I'm explaining, not complaining sometimes, that's what I'll say.

SPEAKER_01 38:16

Yeah, I I just Yeah, it's a question for you. Like what like what do you what do you want from your coach in that moment? Like complaining about the or explaining about the officials.

SPEAKER_03 38:29

Sometimes they get some dumb questions.

SPEAKER_01 38:31

They do. But I just I as a fan, I just feel a bit ripped off that like I don't want to hear your take on the officials. Like that's my take, sitting on the lounge having watched and like I expect the fans to be biased. Like with the officials, it's not always gonna go your way. Some weeks you're gonna not get the rubber the green. Yeah. But it just and and with the same with Justin Longmeyer, like well, you've you've had it your team's up by 35 odd points in the second quarter. Look at the mirror. Is that helpful to a playing group to have like them make excuses for you essentially? Like no. No.

SPEAKER_03 39:08

Not helpful at all.

SPEAKER_01 39:09

Yeah. Well that answers my question basically. And ends our tangent. Um and yeah, look, I just it just doesn't make sense to me when it's you know, Sunday afternoon of the first round and you're having a team that hasn't even played once.

SPEAKER_02 39:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:28

And multiple teams have played a second time. It just and it's just a it now takes whoever kind of came up with this concept to say, okay, this isn't It's the same person who's come up with a wild card com set, probably. Yeah, and what like what are the metrics? Okay, so all the games in the opening round are selling out. Of course they're selling out.

SPEAKER_03 39:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:45

But you haven't had footy for five months in in in locations where footy's really popular, so yeah, I I don't know if we're gonna see the end of it anytime soon, but I can't can't wait to see the back of it personally.

SPEAKER_03 39:57

Well, yeah, as long as Dylan's the CEO, then I think it's Dane.

SPEAKER_01 40:01

Yeah, yeah. Put it to a vote. Put it put it to a referendum. Get Alba on the phone.

SPEAKER_03 40:06

Get Alba. A for what he'll say.

SPEAKER_01 40:09

Sure surely he spends a bit of time in a corporate box at Swan's games. Surely. Um we'll just move over to Carlton having the yips once again.

SPEAKER_02 40:18

Oh, yep.

SPEAKER_01 40:19

You know, the gift that keeps on giving, they're just one of those clubs. Uh off to a poor start against Sydney in opening rounds. But probably, you know, what we expected at a couple of key departures for them. Sydney, you know, a year on and expecting more from them playing at home. Um, but then just lucky to escape against the Tigers. Lucky that um your mate couldn't kick straight, basically. Tommy Lynch. Tommy Lynch.

SPEAKER_03 40:46

He's I'll give him his due. Like it was nice to see him presenting up and clunking them, and he's also won a lot of games for us in critical moments, too. So that's good.

SPEAKER_01 40:54

I'm sure Tommy will appreciate your endorsement, mate.

SPEAKER_03 40:57

So he's a lovely guy too, around the club.

SPEAKER_01 40:59

What's your what's your career record now? Is it two goals and two goals one. Two goals one. Okay. Whispers over around their coach during the the off season or just before the season kicked off, really, that Craig McRae had been approach, which he denied. Um but I just found an interesting post-game on uh Friday, was it? Thursday?

SPEAKER_03 41:19

Thursday night.

SPEAKER_01 41:20

Thursday night, um, after escaping from jail against the Tigers. And I guess like, you know, the fans and the playing group can feel that sort of okay, we've only just won a game here that we were heavily fancied to win. Like, here we go again for another season where we're just gonna struggle for results.

SPEAKER_03 41:39

It's it's a win that feels like a loss.

SPEAKER_01 41:41

Yeah. Uh Patrick Cripp's admission uh on radio after the game that this this year isn't going to be smooth sailing, but the most important thing is you ignite together. Uh, and kind of had a bit more there to say.

SPEAKER_03 41:55

Ignite together or unite together?

SPEAKER_01 41:57

I think he said ignite together. Okay, well he should go back to the Well, prove me wrong, I'm sure you'll have the soundbite for us.

SPEAKER_03 42:03

But um No, I I believe that's the quote. Uh I'm just questioning his useful language, but that's okay.

SPEAKER_01 42:10

This year's not gonna be not gonna be smooth sailing, but the most important thing is is you ignite together. I mean, how do how do you feel about that? Uh you know, is that just is that encouraging as a fan that he's self-aware or is that disappointing because he's kind of aware that yeah, here we go again and and he has to sort of say hubically that the ladder. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 42:31

It's the ladder, you're like, oh God. Well it but Patty Cripps has been part of pre-season. Like he's seen them training day in, day out. Like he when you get to sort of end of preseason, yes, round one, round two are unknowns, but you also have a feeling most years of how the group is going to go. So yeah, he's obviously seen enough, and this is his take. So buckle up, Carlton fans.

SPEAKER_01 42:59

So does that lead us into the knee jerk reaction that we're Carlton's already in the bin for season 2026?

SPEAKER_03 43:06

Well, I can I can start I can say one of my predictions for the month ahead. Yep. If you want to do a knee knee jerk reaction slash monthly prediction.

SPEAKER_01 43:14

Yeah, go for it.

SPEAKER_03 43:14

Uh I had this down as Markle Voss to be out of a job next time we record.

SPEAKER_01 43:19

Okay, so round five. Round five.

SPEAKER_03 43:22

Yep, because they have so Carlson's fixture, right? So they've lost round or lost opening round to Swans, won round one against Tigs. They have a bye, round two, so surely they'll get the points there. Then they have Melbourne at the MCG, they have North Melbourne at Marvel. So these are two games that they should probably win. But if they don't win, I think the pressure's gonna be pretty damn big. And then they have in round five Adelaide over in Adelaide.

SPEAKER_04 43:51

Mmm.

SPEAKER_03 43:53

So I just think Yeah. If it if the trajectory keeps going the way it is. Vosses fighting uphill battle.

SPEAKER_01 44:02

Poor Carlton.

SPEAKER_03 44:04

But like there's just there seems to be no progression or advancement in the game. Like it seems like they're going backwards.

SPEAKER_01 44:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 44:12

You can't s you can't sit in it for another year and be like, oh, he's trying. He's trying hard. We've got to trust the process.

SPEAKER_01 44:17

Yeah, because it wasn't all that long ago. They were experienced were looking like they were on an upward trajectory. Um and just kind of battled out the end of last year.

SPEAKER_03 44:27

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 44:28

And are back where they started back being Carlton.

SPEAKER_03 44:31

So So hence why I think Michael Voss will be out of a job by round five.

SPEAKER_01 44:35

Alright, well you heard it here first. Uh and who else has impressed you depressed you in the AFL back?

SPEAKER_03 44:42

Impressed, depressed, I like that.

SPEAKER_01 44:44

Um you don't hear it you as much like that, do you?

SPEAKER_03 44:47

No, but you will now, I reckon. You've just started a trend. In terms of your question though, um I think I would like to say North Melbourne. That was a good little winner for them. Very hopeful for their fans. Uh again, a good to see uh Melbourne. They're a new team with a new coach started well. Uh I really enjoyed watching the Tigs. I know they lost, but we create a lot of opportunities and there's a lot of learnings in that game for a lot of our young blokes. Um I really like the Tigs. Um, and that's probably all I have on the top of my head. How about you?

SPEAKER_01 45:18

Yeah, I like Sydney.

SPEAKER_03 45:20

I was expecting critical though, they with they've got Heaney with a hammy now, and Errol Gouldin will undergo shoulder surgery and miss four months of football.

SPEAKER_01 45:30

Yeah. Um so good they've yeah, banged the two wins, as you say, because a bit of a tough run coming up. But yeah, did what I expected against Carlton and then were very impressive in the first quarter against Brisbane. Uh Gold Coast. I'm all over Gold Coast like a cheap suit, I reckon.

SPEAKER_02 45:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 45:48

Talk about upward trajectories, like they've just it's sort of starting to come together. Good season last year. Dimmer obviously making a big difference there, and then just off to a really solid start. You couldn't ask for much more from them.

SPEAKER_03 46:01

Yeah, Christian Pacharka first. Christian Pachaka, yeah. And the Sun's kit has started on fire.

SPEAKER_01 46:05

New lease on life, cooking up a storm in the kitchen and on the field. Um, I mean, you know, uh yeah, as I said, less of a sample size for the AFL. We're a round and a half in. So Essendon, much of the same. West Coast, Port Adelaide could be long seasons for them. Um, but yeah.

SPEAKER_03 46:24

Brisbane, very interesting. Brisbane Lions. You've seen a lot of personnel at the moment in their top-tier team. I think 17 or 19 players are injured or suspended or something, I heard. So that's almost a full team.

SPEAKER_01 46:36

And like the intriguing thing about um this year, too, is the first year of a top ten for the AFL.

SPEAKER_02 46:42

Yes, yep.

SPEAKER_01 46:43

So a bit of a reward for mediocrity around the ninth and tenth position, and and then more of us scramble to get into the top six.

SPEAKER_02 46:49

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 46:50

That's where you're gonna be really safe. If you're if you're seventh through tenth, you're gonna have to win five games in a row to win the premiership. So you've got to be in it to win it, I reckon. In the AFL, no one's gonna be winning it from outside the top six, I wouldn't say. Yeah, I'd agree. All right. Uh all

Third Person In

SPEAKER_01 47:06

right. Well, this week for our third person in, uh, I have a lady who I grew up with a good with a question for us, mate.

SPEAKER_03 47:12

Oh, I've got a question, not an opinion.

SPEAKER_01 47:14

Not where uh yeah, not a question. Um, but I was over in Hobart this weekend too on a separate fact-finding mission.

SPEAKER_03 47:21

Um How many oysters do you have down there?

SPEAKER_01 47:24

None.

SPEAKER_03 47:25

You missed out.

SPEAKER_01 47:25

I've got a hot take on oysters, but we're pushed for time, so um. The Devils will make their debut in the VFL in front of a sell-out crowd next weekend. Yep. Uh I was slightly miffed because it's against the Coburg Lions, and when I planned this trip, I didn't think about it. So sad to be missing out on that one. But uh my mum has a couple of questions for us, mate. So far on away.

SPEAKER_00 47:46

Did the AFL teams watch the first game of VFL in Tassie um on Saturday, the 21st of March? Are the teams looking at the players? Are they looking at the club? Are they looking at the culture? And and also are players that may be in their twilight years thinking about maybe finishing out their career in Tassie when the AFL starts up down here.

SPEAKER_03 48:07

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 48:09

You look perplexed.

SPEAKER_03 48:10

Can you summarise the question for me?

SPEAKER_01 48:14

Um first of all, thanks mum for doing that, because I did drop that on her late last night, and um, she sounds about as uncomfortable as I did recording recording yourself, voice, video, whatever.

SPEAKER_03 48:25

So nothing like dropping someone in late last minute. Can you do this for us?

SPEAKER_01 48:29

Yeah, and I mean I did suggest something to do with the VFL as well.

SPEAKER_03 48:33

And you were down there on the weekend, you could record it yourself, but that's okay.

SPEAKER_01 48:36

I didn't think about it, um, but I thought, you know, you got the last third person in, so it was my turn. Uh the summary essentially was you know I guess what does this mean to the AFL more broadly? Um, are any clubs going to be looking at the devil's the organization of the devils? Is it all just them setting themselves up or a club looking at their players? A player is already thinking about that opportunity in a in a few years' time to get a run in the AFL. Obviously, another team just opens up another list of 40 odd players. Yeah. Um, or is it just really means not very much at this stage? And feel free to say that if that's what you think.

SPEAKER_03 49:18

Well, firstly, great to have Carolyn on third person in. And secondly, I'm so glad she thinks so highly of me that I would know know that answer. Um, I would say it doesn't really matter much at all. Uh I think it's more of a branding piece for the AFL. Um, and those individual players would be identifying that this is a new new team coming into the competition and would potentially try and uh work their way in that way. Like I speak from my experience, I I knew going down to uh Melbourne, moving down here in 2019, I knew when I was playing BFL for Richmond, they were coming in 2020, so I was like in the right place to try and make the footy dream come true. So yes, there'll be definitely individual players thinking that way, but in terms of the players who take to the field for the round one, BFLW or VFL for Tatty Devils, not many of them will be there for the AFL team.

SPEAKER_01 50:05

No, but uh I probably just more of an exciting pros uh prospect for the community in general, yeah. Making this feel more real, where there's some sort of tangible thing on field where they can see it, see the colours and go, well, we get behind us. Yeah, and to have I think they're expecting about 10,000 people uh out there on Saturday.

SPEAKER_03 50:25

Well their season launches for the VFL VFLW Tasmanian Devil's side was packed apparently. Yeah, yeah as well.

SPEAKER_01 50:31

So and and just pathways, and if you're a young footballer down there at the moment that you can see that that might then potentially lead to something. So I think at the very least it's just good now put all this stadium stuff behind them and you can kind of see where they're going. I mean the the their membership, um part of their membership, I got sent an email.

SPEAKER_03 50:53

He's also wearing a Taddy Devils t-shirt, too.

SPEAKER_01 50:55

Yeah, you need a doctorate to understand how you were going to get a membership long term. Like you you obviously they're just experiencing this overwhelming amount of interest in memberships and then knowing that particularly before this stadium's built, they've only got so many seats in the stadium.

SPEAKER_04 51:11

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 51:11

But God, it was like a you know, when you go to the UK and you have to sign up for a membership to possibly get a membership, or sign up to a membership to possibly get a seat. But if you don't have the first thing, you're not gonna get the set. Yeah, it's bizarre. Yeah, right. But but that's just the level of interest that they have down there. Yep. Uh, and maybe they need to learn from the Penrith Panthers and build a slightly bigger stadium rather than grow out of it too quickly.

SPEAKER_03 51:34

But um Lisa and I on our honeymoon sat at Mac One, which is a very fancy accommodation. You've got a splurge on your honeymoon. Of course. And we were lucky to get a room at the end, one end of the hotel which gave you water views and street views.

SPEAKER_04 51:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 51:47

And literally one of our windows looks straight down where the actual Macquarie Point Stadium's going to stand one day. Yeah. I think it's a great location where it's been put.

SPEAKER_04 51:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 51:57

Like it's literally right in the heart of Hobart, right there on the harbour front. But I also don't know the public transport system down there, how easy it is to get in the city and stuff. It's Tassie. Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_01 52:07

There's a bus. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 52:09

The 250,000 people down there in Hobart, it's uh it's very well spread out because of the water as well. So um yeah, look where it's gonna where the stadium's gonna be is it looks great.

SPEAKER_01 52:18

I don't know how much car parking's around that, but again, it's mate, everyone just walks everyone just walks in Tassie, it'll be fine. Absolutely fine. Details.

SPEAKER_03 52:26

There's a ferry, there'll be a ferry.

SPEAKER_01 52:28

That's it, yeah. No, mate, it's it'll be it'll be awesome to see it all come to life in a couple of years.

SPEAKER_03 52:35

A couple of years, it's 2030, they're predicting the stadium to be ready.

SPEAKER_01 52:37

I was about to say, because yeah, the team's coming in in twenty seven or twenty-eight?

SPEAKER_03 52:41

Twenty I want to say twenty eight.

SPEAKER_01 52:42

Yeah, I think twenty eight, and then yeah, we're not expecting the stadium until a couple of years after that.

SPEAKER_03 52:46

Three seasons without a stadium.

SPEAKER_01 52:47

Maybe, you know, get Lisa on the phone. Maybe she can be chief engineer on that project. Mate. Hey, we can't. Bruce Jennifer transition, maybe she can transition.

SPEAKER_03 53:00

Look, I just want to move, get her to move to Newslabellas rather than rather than Tasmania. So we want to move north, not south. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 53:07

Yeah, it's probably a bit too cold for you down there, mate.

SPEAKER_03 53:10

Oh, which was perfect. That was a great time to visit.

SPEAKER_01 53:12

Ah, beautiful time. All

Something You Haven't Thought About in a While..

SPEAKER_01 53:14

right. Well, let's move on to our new and exciting segment. Tell me something I haven't thought about lately. Whether people understand this concept took you some explaining, so I still don't know if we're No, I think I get it. Tell me something I haven't thought about lately. I mean, there's always a chance that you won't won't have heard about it at all. It's less about telling you and about telling the audience my niche little sort of fun things. But TV kicks, is it? Yeah. Um and I'd just like to take you back to 2011 uh Penrith Panthers, mate. A lot of these will be definitely based around more my experiences, so we're gonna have to get you to do some as well.

SPEAKER_02 53:47

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 53:48

But um do you remember Michael Jennings?

SPEAKER_02 53:50

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 53:51

Yes, uh Panther, Rooster, Paramatic eel at different stages, but started out his career with the Panthers as an 18-year-old.

SPEAKER_03 53:58

Inmate, jail inmate as well.

SPEAKER_01 53:59

Jail inmate, uh questionable character. We're not here to judge on this show. Um But in 2011, rocked up to training drunk.

SPEAKER_03 54:08

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 54:09

Do you know what it remember what his punishment was?

SPEAKER_03 54:11

Yes, you loved it. He had to, you then go to the next home game and give out free tickets to fans.

SPEAKER_01 54:16

Yep. So a Friday night, Pennsylvania's hopes, dead and buried, and Michael Jackson Michael Jackson.

SPEAKER_02 54:23

He's dead and buried.

SPEAKER_01 54:24

Michael Jennings puts on his very best ill-fitting suit and has to wander around the touch uh the sideline handing out tickets personally to fans to compensate for his behaviour that he also had to pay for, I believe, in the amount of $10,000. So fined by the club, and that was put towards buying tickets. Do you think we'll ever see that happen again? Um Do you think the punishment fit the crime?

SPEAKER_03 54:49

I I don't think we'll ever see it again the NRL. There might be another code or league that might roll that out after hearing this uh this example.

SPEAKER_01 54:57

How would you feel if if that happened to one of your teammates, mate? Uh it's kind of like being put in the stocks in like a modern sort of footballer way.

SPEAKER_03 55:07

Can't imagine one of my teammates turning up to training drunk. No, I mean well first of all.

SPEAKER_01 55:11

I can, but you know, only after your wedding.

SPEAKER_03 55:15

Um I think I think it'd be very funny to see a teammate doing that. I don't think they would find the funny side.

SPEAKER_01 55:22

But it's not fun turning up to work drunk. No, giving out the tickets. Oh no, it'd be awful.

SPEAKER_03 55:28

I find that funny seeing one of my teammates do it, but um yeah, I don't know. It's it is funny. I don't think it'll ever happen again in NRL, but um never say never.

SPEAKER_01 55:39

Never say never, and not surprisingly, departed the club probably 18 months later. So yeah, they probably got what they wanted out of that Panthers and Michael Jennings.

SPEAKER_03 55:49

So well, it's still living on today, thanks to amateur hour.

SPEAKER_01 55:53

Alright,

Predictions

SPEAKER_01 55:54

and to finish us off today, mate, our predictions for the next month ahead. You've already gone with one of yours. Yes. Uh Michael Voss won't make our next podcast.

SPEAKER_03 56:03

Yep. And then the other two I have. I have said North Melbourne to be in the top eight after round five.

SPEAKER_04 56:10

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 56:10

Yep. And then I'm gonna go Newcastle Knights, the NRL will not win a game until Ponger or Brown return. So both are out. So Ponger's out with a hamstring. Yeah. And then Dylan Brown is out with a medial, I believe.

SPEAKER_01 56:23

They won't win a game.

SPEAKER_03 56:25

Until one of them return.

SPEAKER_01 56:27

You don't have time frames in either of them?

SPEAKER_03 56:29

Uh not set timelines, no.

unknown 56:32

Alright.

SPEAKER_01 56:32

Who've knew that?

SPEAKER_03 56:33

I reckon at least I reckon at least a a a month for Ponger. And they're saying m potentially it's a grade two medial for Dylan Brown, so four to six weeks.

SPEAKER_01 56:42

We I mean we didn't talk about Newcastle, but undefeated as well. Um I respectfully disagree with that one, but we'll see. Um I had that the storm will get to Anzac Day undefeated.

SPEAKER_03 56:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 56:54

That won't be decided by our next podcast anyway, but we can check in on the progress of that one.

SPEAKER_03 56:59

I love how you make these rules and then just change them.

SPEAKER_01 57:02

Yeah, well, it just feels funny to work in four-week blocks, so anyway. Uh the Gold Coast will be the last team to be undefeated in the AFL.

SPEAKER_03 57:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 57:13

So again, that may or may not be resolved by the time we meet next. And a special one for us Panthers and Roosters going head to head at six o'clock this Friday night. I think their game will go to extra time.

SPEAKER_03 57:25

Okay. You've heard it here first then, because this podcast drops on the third Thursday of every month.

SPEAKER_01 57:32

The third day.

SPEAKER_03 57:33

So that will be dropping just before the Roosters and Penrith Match.

SPEAKER_01 57:37

Excellent. Alright, mate. Well, lovely to get yeah. Lovely to get together, lovely to see you. Um and yes, we'll be back for the next podcast on the third Thursday of April. Yes. This is confusing me now. Why? Just talking about the next one. Um, but until then, write to us, call us.

SPEAKER_03 57:58

And we'll we'll drop you in the third person in the night before uh we record the next episode. So it could be anyone.

SPEAKER_01 58:03

Yeah, you're better off volunteering than getting the call late at night. Thanks, babe.